Monthly Archives: May 2013

This week I go on a bit of a rant about the new entry in the Star Trek reboot, “Star Trek: Into Darkness”. Okay, maybe I go on a long, foaming at the mouth diatribe that contains spoilers about every major plot point of the movie. If you want to skip the spoilers jump ahead to the 9 minute and 10 second mark.

Apologies to those Jammers who have yet to peep the flick (which I actually quite enjoyed despite my concerns). My bad! Here are some bloopers from Star Trek: Classic…

Fresh off its announcement last week that it sold 10 million Galaxy S4 phones in the first month of release, Samsung is already aiming for another media moment. The company said this week that it plans an event for June 20th in London. Press invitations for its Samsung Premiere 2013 event have gone out and new Galaxy and Ativ mobile devices are expected.

Microsoft has an updated console, the Xbox One, coming out later this year, but the new product has people talking about more than just the hardware spex. For instance, there was some confusion about whether the Xbox One will play second-hand games. After hearing a lot of swirl on the forums, a Microsoft representative did put out a statement saying used games would be allowed. (Sony had its own batch of Twitter protesters tweeting angrily this week about any attempt at enforcing digital-rights management restrictions for used games on its upcoming on PlayStation 4 console.)

FiLMiC Pro, a $5 app from Cinegenix LLC, is another great tool for shooting high-definition movies with your iPhone. The app offers a 4x zoom, 15 presets and easy uploading to popular video-sharing sites. You can see what FiLMiC Pro can do here.

Tilt-shift photography — which is often used to make scenes appear miniaturized — has been around for decades and is another technique that has found a place in video as well. The free Miniatures: Tilt Shift Time Lapse Videos app from Hit Rolls is a great way to experiment with the style and you can get an eyeful of what it can do here. (A more full-featured Pro version of the app is also available for $5.)

Roving correspondent Jocelyn Gonzales talks to ﬁlmmaker and author Anthony Artis about shooting movies on your smartphone and J.D. has a roundup of apps that will help you finish those home improvement projects. Also on the show, Pedro sets his phasers on stun and takes aim at the new Star Trek movie. In the news, Samsung prepares to unveil new Android and Windows phones; Google plans to use blimps and balloons to build wireless networks; Microsoft feeling heat over privacy concerns with their new XBox console; Yahoo continues their shopping spree; and a German railroad company plans to use drones to prevent vandalism.

Planning a summer remodeling project or taking care of a few little tool-related chores around the house now that the weather is starting to warm up and you’ve got some summer vacation time on the way? You guessed it — your smartphone can help with that, too.

Some apps are tools themselves, like the $2 iHandy Carpenter (shown here) for iOS and Android. The app includes a plumb bob, a protractor, a level bar, a surface level and a short ruler. If you just want a level, iHandy makes a free level app for both platforms, and Stanley Tools makes its own free level app for iOS. Android users can choose from a number of Smart Tools apps.

So, if you’re dreading the part where you have to get started on a do-it-yourself project, ease into it with a visit to your app store. And if your spouse or partner complains, you’re not stalling — you’re finding technology that will make the project quicker and more efficient!

Once word spread that our show had ended production, the emails poured in exhorting us to bring it back or produce a new one. To say we were moved by the outpouring of support from our listeners would be a gross understatement. J.D. and I were actually both a little gobsmacked.

Neither of us had any clue that there were so many passionate fans missing our shenanigans but grinding out a weekly radio show for so long had taken its toll and we both needed time off to recharge before discussing what to do next. It became clear during our first few meetings that without the considerable resources available to us at our day gig it would have been impossible for us to do both a new show and our full-time jobs. Just as we were about to move on, the team at BROS offered to help and the rest, as they say, is history.

The plan is to continue producing the show until it loses the fun factor for either of us. As things stand right now, it appears J.D. and I will be busy for quite some time.

Geekcentric sites like io9 (which also did a spoiler FAQ) and Wired were not feeling the love for the film, however. The Mary Sue blog liked it as popcorn-consumption vehicle but not so much as a bonafide Star Trek picture.

New to Doctor Who and don’t know what a K9 is? Feeling left out of the conversation when you and your Trekker friends get together? Well, don’t despair! J.D. will have you geeking out with the best of them. Also on the show, El Kaiser gives us his thoughts on Samsung’s newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S4 and digs into movie box office numbers. In the news Yahoo buys Tumblr and starts handing out storage by the terabyte over at Flicker; Microsoft unveils their new gaming console and hopes it will be The One that rules them all; and more proof that Science rocks and it rocks the hardest!

The annual World Science Festival is coming up soon in New York City The five-day fest starts May 29th and will have 50 events taking place across all 5 boroughs. Here’s the event list so you can start making plans.

Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The mighty Star Trek franchise is not far behind, as almost 47 years have passed since it first beamed up on the television airwaves back in 1966. That’s a lot of history and backstory for these two shows, and some of it even pops into current episodes – just think of the recent Season 7 finale for the Doctor and characters from the new Star Trek Into Darkness movie. But let’s face it: long-running television shows have built up complex mythologies and continuities that can be hard to remember over the decades. And what if you came to the show late? How do you figure stuff out and find your way? (Like, who is this character and when did he first appear?)

So, with that in mind, here are a few sites to help fill in the backstory on some very popular parts of the entertainment universe.

Doctor Who
While the BBC One (and BBC America) official Web sites can be generally helpful for show news, recent events and even a beginner’s guide, visit the TARDIS Data Core Wiki if you really want to dig deep into collective Whovian history. The site compiles character backgrounds, plot points, actor bios and more, even incorporating material from minisode clips and other random bits. Looking for something specific? The search box invites you to “probe the data core!”

Star TrekThe official Star Trek site owned by CBS Studios has full episodes of the original TV series and all the spin-offs (including the animated adventures that first aired in 1973), as well as pages devoted to franchise news, events and trinkets to purchase. Roddenberry Entertainment runs the Trek Initiative wiki, which has its own video clips from the family archives and other exclusive material. Want to delve even deeper? Visit the Star Trek Memory Alpha wiki for more than 35,000 pages devoted to the total Trek universe.

Odds are, if a show has more than three dedicated fans, there’s probably a wiki on it out there somewhere. Can’t find a wiki out there for your favorite cult obsession, TV or otherwise? Start one yourself!